Nature versus Nurture
by MickieHardyGirl
Summary: Zuko had never expected something like this. Azula, still on the run from the Fire Nation, shows up late one stormy night and she's not alone. Now, in the middle of trying to mend the broken relationships with the other nations, Zuko has another vital mission. He has to raise Azula's daughter.
1. Azula's Daughter

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Azula's Daughter_

This was easily the worst storm that the Fire Nation had seen in the last ten years. The heavy downpour combined with the monsoon type winds made it nearly for anyone to see where they were going. The city outside of the grounds of the Fire Lords palace was already covered in debris. Fallen tree limbs and pieces of building covered the streets, soaking in the ankle-deep water that ran downhill like a small river. A woman makes her way, unsteadily, to the gates of the place. Her pale, boney hands firmly hold a small blanket covered bundle to her chest as she tries to protect it from the elements. Lightening flashes, illuminating the path ahead of her for a few seconds, letting her know she was heading in the right direction. There was a time that she had loved the lightening, the energy that it gave her, the feeling of utter power that ran through her body when she wielded that unnatural weapon, the superior feeling she had when people saw her use it for the first time, it had made her feel whole. Now, it was nothing more than a nuisance that added more difficulty to the task at hand.

With a weakening grip, she pulls the bundle closer to her body. She was almost there. The loud cracking of thunder makes her flinch. When had she become so weak that a little storm scared her? Pulling her cloak closer to her thinning body, she continues on her way, staggering as the wind whipped around her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

"Who goes there?" A booming voice asks as she nears the large iron gates. The man behind the voice was a larger male, he reminded her of the ships that she had once commanded, broad with sharp features. His thick bearded appeared to be soaking up rainwater as he stepped from underneath the covering and pointed the end of his sharp spear in her direction. "I asked what business you have here."

"I'm here to see my brother." The woman says, stepping out of the rain, into the light of the glowing lanterns and letting the hood from her head fall backwards to rest against her shoulders. The woman looked like a shell of what she once was, her cheeks were sunken in, her hair was knotted and pulled looked like she had pulled it back, but the wind had ripped most of it out of its tie. The dark circles that pooled heavily under her eyes made her look like one of the undead.

The guard gasps, stumbling backwards a few steps. "Princess- Princess Azula?" He asks, frantically waving over another guard to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. The servants rushed away to let the Fire Lord know that his estranged sister had returned.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots!" She snaps, shifting the bundle from one arm to another as she walks through the slowly opening gates. "Get my brother and bring me a fresh towel and hot water."

"My apologies, Princess." The guard replies, bowing lowly before rushing away to fetch the items that the princess requested.

* * *

Zuko enters the dining room, stopping dead in his tracks when he see's who is warming themselves by the fire. The servants weren't wrong, his sister had returned. At least what used to be his sister, the woman in front of him was far different from the last time he had seen her. She was pale, even by Fire Nation standards, and she looked as if she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in months. She looked ill, it was evident by the way that the clothes she was wearing hanging loosely on her body that she had lost weight.

Sensing her brother's presence, Azula rises to her feet, turning away from the flames to face him. Zuko's cannot hide the shock from his face when he see's what's in Azula's arms. The Princess follows his gaze to the small child that is nestled closely to her chest. "It's your niece." She says, as if reminding him of something she had told him a hundred times over. "Oria."

Zuko starts towards his little sister, approaching her in the same manner that one would approach an injured animal that was likely to attack or flee if it was to become frightened. "How old is she?" He asks, trying to get a better look at the infants' face.

"She will be three months of age in two days." A small gasp sounds from behind him, he doesn't have to turn around to know that Katara had entered the room. The look of distaste on his sisters hollowing face lets him know that she had entered. Her opinion of the Waterbender hadn't seemed to have changed much over the last three years. "It looks like the rumors are true. I should have known that Zu-Zu would have dropped Mai for you." Azula says, her amber eyes raking over Katara's figure in a way that made her shiver. "I suppose father is thrilled about the union."

"Father is no longer with us." Zuko says, after a long moment of silence.

Azula's face falters for a moment before returning to a less convincing stoic expression. It appeared that she was either too weak or too tired to keep up her usual cloud of defense. "How unfortunate." She turns lean against the large dinning room table. "And mother?"

"She's still alive."

When the child in her arms starts to whimper, Azula shifts it to her shoulder and pats it on the back with a gentleness that Zuko would have never believed her to be capable of. "How did the Avatar react to you stealing his girlfriend?"

"Zuko didn't _steal_ me." Katara says, speaking for the first time since she entered the room. Stepping forward to stand beside Zuko, she holds her hands in clinched fist at her sides. "I'm no one's property to steal. I _choose_ to be with Zuko."

Aang and Katara had a nasty fallout about a year after they had gone with Zuko on the journey to find his mother. Zuko had been slightly stunned when Katara had shown up on the palace doorstep in the middle of the night. She was an emotional wreck and cried for three days straight, before she finally managed to tell Zuko the short version of what had happened. It took two weeks for him to coax her out of the bedroom and back into the world of the living. Sometime after that, the two had started a relationship, one that had angered the Avatar momentously when he found out about it. There relationship with him hadn't been the same since.

"I suppose it's time to discuss why I am here." Azula says, looking between her brother and his fiancée.

"Are you and the baby okay?" Katara asks, holding out her hand as she takes a step towards the two of them. "I can heal you if something is wrong."

"We are perfectly fine." She says, glaring at the other girl until she lowers her hand. "I'm not staying." She says, looking at Zuko. "I don't want anything to do with mother."

"Why are you here, Azula?" Zuko says, his eyes drifting down to the babies face as his sister approaches him. She looked a lot like her mother did as a child. Azula wasn't lying about the child being her own. The idea of Azula allowing someone to get close enough to her in order to make a child was hard for him to wrap his mind around. There had to be some kind of catch to it. A ploy to get the throne to the Fire Nation or something. "Where is her father?"

"That doesn't matter. He doesn't matter." Azula says, shaking her head, making more hair fall out of the loose hair tie. "He never intended to stick around for her anyway." Placing a kiss on her daughters' forehead, she whispers something too low for either Zuko or Katara to hear, before she closes the distance between them and places the baby into her brothers' arms. "I'm doing what our bitch of a mother was two much of a coward to do. I can't take her with me where I'm going. She deserves a better life than the one that we had, I can't give that to her right now. I'm not sure I will ever be able to."

Zuko looks down at the child in his arms and freezes. Azula couldn't be serious. She wasn't just going to leave her newborn daughter wit him while she took off, would she? He watches as she turns to Katara, a bitter look spreading across her sickly features. "As much as I hate to say this, I know that you will take good care of her." Azula says, looking as if the words caused her physical pain to say.

Katara nods slowly. Not sure what to say in reply. She seemed to be just a shocked as Zuko was about the events that were unraveling before them. "Maybe you should get a decent night's sleep before you leave." Katara suggests. "It must have been some time since you had one."

"Why?" Azula says, her untrusting demeanor returning once again. "So Zuko can have be thrown back into the hospital where I won't be able to feed myself?"

"No… I was-" Katara starts, but the door opens to revel a maid who was bring in a tray of food for the Princess.

Quick as lightening, Azula shoots across the room and wraps her arm around the neck of the young maid. The girls face shows nothing but fear when Azula raises a lit finger to her face. "I'm leaving, Zuko." She says, her voice firm. "I'm taking her with me and I'll release her once I'm outside of the gates."

Katara's hand moves to uncork the bottle of bending water that she had kept almost permanently attached to her waist. Zuko's large hand covers her own, stopping her as the flame near the maids' face begins to grow. "Just leave, Azula."

"Have you lost your mind?" Katara asks, turning to face Zuko as soon Azula disappeared out the servant's entrance with the young girl in tow. "She could kill that girl!"

"She's not going to."

"How can you possibly be sure? This is your sister we are talking about!"

"Katara." He says, looking down at his niece who was staring up at him with the same amber eyes that were a trademark of the Fire Nation. "She just wanted to leave the child. She'll let the girl go as soon as she gets out of here. She wouldn't have risked showing up here with a plan to take only a maid as a hostage. Not when she could have easily killed me right here and claimed the throne."

Katara's attention turns to the baby. "I can't believe Azula had a child." She says, talking it from Zuko, who hands it over quickly. He wasn't accustomed to holding children. He hadn't been around very many kids since he was one himself. Why Azula thought it would be a good idea to leave a child with someone who knew very little about them was beyond his comprehension. "She looks a lot like you."

Zuko stares at the small child as Katara places it on the table and uses her water bending to make sure that it was healthy. He kept waiting for whatever magic that was making the baby exist to wear off and for the baby to completely disappear. His fiancés hands light up in a glowing blue that the baby seemed to find interesting.

"She's perfectly healthy." Katara says, wrapping the child back up in its blanket. It was going to need some new clothes, the ones that it was currently wearing where becoming a little worn down. "Azula did an amazing job taking care of her. It's amazing, I would have never expected something like this to happen."

"What am I going to do?" Zuko says, staring at his niece who has decided to take a nap in Katara's arms the poor thing must have been exhausted from traveling. There was no telling how long Azula had been on the road before she had finally arrived.

"There's only one thing we can do, Zuko. We're going to raise her."

 **A/N: I completely redid this chapter and about doubled it in length. I hope it's a lot better and more interesting than the original. I'll probably save the original if anyone wants to see it for whatever reason. Tell me what you think about it. I love seeing your comments.**


	2. Six Months Later

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Six Months Later_

"Oria, please stop." Zuko says, trying to escape from his nine-month-old niece who had a death grip on a chunk of his hair. He was starting to regret letting it grow out. Who cared if it was custom for the Fire Lord to have a majestic mane of hair? He was going to be bald if Oria kept trying to rip it all out of his skull. Taking a hold of her tiny pale hand, he pries his hair away from her only to have her grab another handful in her open hand. "Just like her mother." He mutters under his breath. "This torment all over again."

It had been months since Azula had left her infant daughter in the care of Zuko and Katara. Zuko had the whole Fire Nation searching for his sister since the day she had left, but just like before, Azula seemed to have vanished without a trace. The Fire Lord was still having problems wrapping his head around what had happened and how he came to have custody of his sisters (assumingly) illegitimate daughter. Finally managing to get his hair out of her grip, Zuko quickly hands his niece the doll that Uncle Iroh had sent for her. Squealing in delight, Oria hugs the doll and places a slobbery kiss on its face. Even though she was far too young to be showing any signs of bending, Zuko had slightly expected her to set the Earth Kingdom doll up in flames.

"She really loves that doll." Katara says, walking into the room and taking a seat on the floor next to him. "It sounded like you were having trouble earlier." She says, reaching over to run her hand through Oria's raven black hair. The girl's hair was at that awkward stage of growth where it stuck up at odd angles. "What happened this time?"

"She was trying to rip out my hair again." He says, rubbing the still sore spot on his scalp. "With this and the biting, I'm starting to worry that she is going to be just like her mother. It's not completely impossible, right? Bad genes seem to run in the family."

Katara laughs lightly. "Zuko, plenty of babies bite and pull hair. It's hardly uncommon. Gran Gran used to talk about how Sokka ripped off one of the Elders wigs in front of the whole Water Tribe. I don't think that she ever forgave him."

"That sounds like something that Sokka would do." Zuko laughs, feeling slightly better about his niece's behavior. Maybe there would be hope for her not to turn out like the rest of his messed-up family.

"Fire Lord Zuko." Oria's nanny stands nervously in the doorway, a large white towel in her slightly trembling hands. Katara had brought the young girl, a nervous girl in her late teens, back from the lower ring of the Fire Nation. His wife always seemed to be bringing home strays who needed help. He couldn't fault her for it, the girl was a hard worker who took great care of Oria. Katara had mentioned that the girl was raising her five younger siblings on her own after the tragic death of her father in a mining accident. Her mother had died in childbirth when the youngest was born. There wasn't much of a secret to why the Fire Lady had chosen to help her. "It's -It's time for Princess Oria's bath."

"I'll do it today, Rei. Go home and get some rest. We will need you here early tomorrow for the Avatar's arrival." Katara says, standing up and taking the towel from the other girl. Zuko's eyes momentarily drift down his wife's figure and settle on her rounded backside. The moment is cut short by a wooden block to the side of his head, followed by Oria giving a loud belly laugh at her uncle's pain.

"I think it's getting close to bedtime for little girls." Zuko says, standing up and lifting his still giggling niece onto his shoulder. Katara said this behavior was normal for kids, but Zuko wasn't so sure. It was starting to seem deliberate on Oria's part. Maybe Azula had just possessed the baby.

"Are you going to help me?" Katara asks, kissing her husband's cheek.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." He says, reaching down to toss some of the child's toys into her toybox. "Just let me clean up in here a little bit."

A lot had changed over the last few months. Zuko and Katara had gotten married in a small, private ceremony. The whole thing took place in his mother's garden under the cherry blossom tree's. Close family and friends had been invited, Gran Gran and Pakku had managed to make the trip from the Southern Water Tribe to be in attendance. Neither Aang nor Mai showed up or had even bothered to answer their invitations. Katara wouldn't admit to it, but she seemed to take the avatar's dismissal of the wedding to heart. Zuko on the other hand was relieved that Mai ignored the invitation to the wedding. He had invited her solely because of Ty Lee's frequent insistence that he should.

Of course, when everyone showed up for the wedding, the couple had to find a way to explain Oria. Katara and Zuko had made the abrupt decision to pass her off as a daughter that was born to the two of them out of wedlock. It was the only way to assure the safety of the small child, especially with the vast amount of people who wanted Azula's head on a platter. This had caused a small stir among the families. Iroh was absolutely thrilled with the prospect of having a grandchild and chastised Zuko for not letting him know sooner. Ursa seemed skeptical about the whole thing but didn't say much on the subject. Katara's family hadn't exactly been thrilled with the news. While Gran Gran had tried to be supportive of the situation, Hakoda had pulled Zuko aside for a long "talk" that mostly consisted of him threatening Zuko's life.

As for the main group... Toph had quickly detected the lie. Sokka had tried to fight Zuko for "defiling" his little sister and ended up frozen to the wall while Katara explained the situation to him and Suki. After explaining their concerns to everyone else, they agreed as a whole that it would be better to keep Oria's lineage a secret. The fact that Katara had not been around many people for the last year had provided the coverage they needed to play off the small child as their own. Those who had actively spent time with the Fire Lady had been sworn to secrecy. So, hopefully no one would ever have to find out that Azula's daughter was living comfortably in the Fire Nation.

"Aang will be here in the morning." Zuko says, running his finger lightly over Katara's bare spine. They were sitting together in the large inground tub of the Fire Lords private bath. Katara was positioned between Zuko's legs, her body slightly turned so that she could rest her head on top of her toned arms on the side of the tub.

"I know." She replies, gooseflesh rising on her tan skin as Zuko's hand moves across her body. "This will be the first time we have seen him since the fight." Katara shifts positions so that her back lays flush against his chest. His pale hands move to ideally draw random patterns across her stomach.

"He wasn't happy with us when he left here the last time." He says, placing kisses along her neck. His nose curls up slightly as hair chocolate brown hair tickles his face.

Katara shrugs. "I wasn't happy when he left me alone in the temple for six months with only a note saying that he would be back soon. I wasn't happy with him when he was back for a week, staying in a motel with his _fans_ without so much as a thought about how I had been without him. I wasn't happy when he told me he _had needs_ when he was gone."

Zuko wraps his arms tightly around her. "I was happy when you came here." He says, kissing her cheeks until she started to giggle. "You changed my life for the better, Katara. More than once."

"You make me happy too, Zuko." She says, twisting to kiss him deeply. "Let's go to bed."

Zuko and Katara wake up before sunrise the next morning. The Avatar would be arriving soon and even though Zuko really didn't care to roll out the spectacular welcome parade for his former good friend it would be bad politics if he didn't. A part of him wished that his uncle hadn't drilled him about manners for the majority of his life. The castle was a buzz with preparation for the arrival of the Avatar. The cooks had been up all night preparing the breakfast feast, the maids were scurrying around checking for any dust particles that could have been missed the day before.

Even though they tried hard to hide it, he still heard the mentions of the scandal that was his relationship with Katara. If she had been dating anyone else before they had gotten together, it wouldn't have been news, but the Avatar's past girlfriend? Now that was news worthy.

"It'll all be over soon." Katara says, from her place in front of the large vanity. She was twisting her hair back into the style that she had taken up when she had first come to the Fire Nation. Truth be told, it was his favorite look on her. The outfit that she had specially chosen for the occasion was a mixture of both their cultures. It had her signature blue color, combined with the trending Fire Nation style.

"You're right." He smiles, placing his crown into his own hair. "He's only going to be here for a few days, then everything will go back to normal. His letter said that he spent a lot of time in the spirit world the past few months. He might just sleep the whole time he is here."

"We can only hope that is the case." Katara says, standing up and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She places her weight on his shoulders, causing him to laugh as he stumbles back towards their large bed.

He catches his lips with hers as he pulls her down onto the red silk sheets with him. His hands grip her thighs, pulling her up to straddle his waist. "Do you think we have time?" He mutters against her lips.

A knock sounds at the door, making the couple split apart like a couple of teenagers caught doing something they shouldn't have been. "Your majesties." A servant says. "The Avatar has been spotted off the shore."

"That would be a no." Katara sighs, lifting herself off him.

"It could be a move quickly." He smiles, tugging on her hand.

Rolling her eyes, Katara swats his hand away. "We're on our way."

Zuko stands with his small family in the courtyard as they wait for Aang to arrive. He smiles softly as he watches Katara cuddle with his sleepy niece. The little girl was dressed up in a simple purple dress, her hair was word down in soft waves, that reminded him of the last time that he took a vacation with his younger sister. The young girl places a thumb in her mouth as she lays her head on Katara's narrow shoulder. Though she was trying hard to hide it, Zuko could sense the stress that Katara was feeling. As Appa appears on the horizon, Zuko reaches over and takes her small hand in his own large one. Somewhere in the towers, the bells ring. Appa lets out a roar, before coming to land in front of them.

Aang jumps down from Appa's head. He looked a lot different from the last time that Zuko had seen him, older somehow. His head appeared to be lazily shaved and he was growing out his beard. Which didn't appear to be going too well from the patch way that it grew in.

"Hello, Aang." Katara says, pulling Oria closer to her body.

"It's good to see you again." Zuko says, letting go of his wife to step forward in greeting.

Aangs eye's narrow when Oria turns around to look at the disturbance behind her. "Who is that?" He asks, ignoring both Zuko's and Katara's greetings.

"You haven't met." Zuko says, gesturing between them. "This is our daughter, Oria."


	3. Aang's Arrival

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Aang's Arrival_

"Daughter?" Aang asks, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"Yes, daughter." Katara says, bouncing the young girl slightly when she started to whimper. Apparently, she didn't like the looks of Appa. Not that Zuko could blame her, the flying bison could be very intimidating if you had never seen him before. Momo scurries across the courtyard ahead of Aang to perch on Katara's shoulder opposite of the one occupied by Oria. Oria looks at him anxiously before letting out a loud squeal of delight.

"How old is she?" Aang asks, as he approaches Zuko. The two men bow to one another, Zuko expected more to keep up appearances than out of actual respect. Not that he had lost all respect for Aang, he was just angry with the younger man for how he had treated Katara before she had come to live with him in the Fire Nation.

"She just turned nine months old yesterday." Zuko says, as Aang gives Katara an awkward hug. He supposed it must be difficult on some level for both of them. There had been a time when it was nearly impossible to get the two of them apart. Now… Katara didn't want to breathe the same air as him.

"Really?" Aang asks, as he walks with the couple up the marble steps back into the palace. Zuko could practically hear the gears in his head turning as he worked to figure out exactly when Katara had gotten pregnant. The timing was a mess. Both Zuko and Katara were aware of that. The math always came out to about the time that Katara had come to the Fire Nation after her break-up with Aang. "If I would have been aware of you having a child, I would have brought the little lemur a present."

"That's not necessary." Katara says, absentmindedly placing her fingers on her mother's necklace.

"Why wasn't there a birth announcement?" Aang asks, trying to pry more information out of them. He wasn't going to let it go easy.

Zuko had expected someone in their group to have let Aang know about the situation surrounding Oria's sudden appearance in their lives. They had never told any of them to keep it a secret from him. Then again, he had acquired a bad habit of being hard to contact over the years. There had been a good year that he hadn't heard anything from Katara or Aang because Aang had dragged them off to some remote village, so he could do his avatar duties.

"Oria is an illegitimate child." Zuko replies, in a matter of fact tone. "Since she was conceived before Katara and I were married she doesn't exactly receive the same treatment that one would typically get if they were born in the conventional way."

Pretending that Oria was his illegitimate child was both a blessing and a curse. It was always gnawing at the back of his mind that she might grow up to resent him and Katara for what she will believe they did to her. Would she resent her siblings for being able to ascend to the throne when she cannot because she has no birth right? Azula had certainly held a great deal of anger towards Zuko for being born before her, enough anger and drive for attempt to kill him over the crown. If it came down to it, could Oria be just as devious as her mother? The inability of Oria to take the throne was a good thing. It would mean that his rightful heir would be able to take their place at the top. There wouldn't be a risk of Azula using her daughter to take the throne back.

"I guess that makes sense." Aang says, nodding his bald head slightly as they walk into the large dinning room. The large wooden table was covered in food, if Sokka had been there he would have had a stroke. "It smells delicious in here." Pulling off his light covering, Zuko could see that the avatar had lost a great amount of weight. His usual outfit that had at one point been growing a bit snug, now hung loosely on his body. "It's been a long time since I have had a nice home cooked meal. Most of what I get on the road is prepacked snacked food or taste horrible. I'm afraid I'm no where as good of a cook as Katara. I really miss the seal stew that you used to make. I think that was my favorite. That or some of the food you made when we came to the Fire Nation."

"That food was horrible." Katara says, a small smile appearing on her lips as she puts Oria into the high chair and ties a bib around her tiny neck. "I'm afraid it took me a long time to learn how to properly season the food here."

"You're still not very good at it." Zuko says, earning a dirty look from Katara. He laughs, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"I thought you liked my cooking."

"I do… for the most part."

Picking up a piece of bread, Katara throws it in her husband's direction hitting him square in the chest.

"You two seem very happy together." Aang says, the bitterness evident in his voice.

"We are." Katara says, placing a small plate of food in front of Oria. She takes the seat to the right of Zuko, across from Aang. "I'm the happiest I have ever been. I don't know what I would do without him."

Zuko smiles and gives Katara's hand a small squeeze. "These last couple years have been wonderful. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have Katara in my life."

"Fire Lord Zuko, the rest of your guest are here." One of the servants says, standing a good distance away from the table. "Should I send them in."

Normally there wouldn't have been other guest for the first meal with the legendary members of the Team Avatar, but neither Zuko nor Katara had wanted to be alone with Aang for longer than they had to be.

"I hope you don't mind." Zuko says, standing up to greet the guest. "I thought we would get down to the business you wished to discuss after breakfast. I believe you said that the project you wanted to start would take some time to get started."

"No problem at all." Aang says in a voice that suggested that there was, indeed, a problem.

The rest of the breakfast went by in a blur. Zuko had noticed the way the way that Aang had kept looking at Oria, most likely trying to find some resemblance between the young girl and Katara. A resemblance that he would never be able to find. He supposed it was a good thing that the genes in his family were strong. He and Azula had looked a lot a like as children. They, in turn, also looked a lot like their father. Evident when Katara had mistaken a baby picture of the former fire lord for a baby picture of Zuko. It was easy enough to pass Oria off as his own. No one had ever really questioned it, but he supposed Aang had a reason to want to.

After breakfast was over Zuko lead the group to the meeting room to discuss Aangs new project. The idea was a great one, Zuko had to give Aang that one. He wanted to build a city where immigrants from all four nations could have a safe haven. He had come to discuss it with Zuko, because he had decided that there was a Fire Nation territory that would be the perfect location. The city itself would be separate from all the other nations, with the other nations all sharing the responsibility of keeping the city safe from harm.

"What's all for today." Zuko says, the people who had been involved in the meeting start to file out of the room. Katara enters as the last one leaves, while they were discussing the plans for the new city, she had been working on the plans for a women's shelter in one of the more rural areas of the Fire Nation.

"So, that's why you wanted to leave me so bad." Aang says, once everyone had cleared out of the meeting room, leaving him alone with Zuko and Katara. The Fire Lord knew this was coming, he had hoped that they would avoid it all together. "You came here and got pregnant with Zuko's baby. That explains why you thought that you needed to stay with him."

"It wasn't like that Aang." Katara says defensively. "I didn't stay with Zuko, because I felt like I had to. I stayed with Zuko because he treated me better than you did. It's been two years and he has not once strayed away like you did."

"Katara…" Aang sighs, running a hand over his face. "I told you that I made a mistake. I was alone with all those girls and they just kept giving me attention and throwing themselves at me… I shouldn't have done what I did and I'm sorry I did it, but I had needs that I had to take care of."

"Here we go with that again." Katara says, clenching her fists at her sides. The flower vase at the center of the table falls over, sending the water across the stack of papers and onto the floor. Taking a deep breath, Katara bends the water back into the vase. "I'm not going to discuss this with you again, Aang. What you did to me wasn't right, no matter how you try to justify it."

"Katara, you don't understand-"

"I think we all need to calm down." Zuko says, stepping between the two of them. He didn't need another fight with the Avatar. Agni knew that there was still a great deal of unrest between the nations. If it got out that the original team that brought peace to the world was falling apart, things would probably take a turn for the worst. There had already been a lot of controversy surround his and Katara's relationship once it had become public, they didn't need people thinking of them as nothing more than bickering children. "Aang, Katara was no longer with you when Oria was conceived. What has happened, happened. There is no changing it now, it's far too late to go back and change things."

"You slept with Zuko the same week that you left me." Aang says, glaring at Katara. Zuko groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was like the kid went completely deaf to what he was saying. "You were mad at me, but you went behind my back with my best friend!"

"Aang!" Zuko snaps. "That is enough. You are here as my guest and you will do good to remember that. I do not want to have to ask you to leave. However, if you insist on speaking to _my wife_ in this manner, I will have no choice."

Aang sighs. "I apologize. I was out of line." He says, looking much like a child who had just got scolded for having their hand in the cookie jar.

"I'm going to get Oria ready for lunch." Katara says, turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

"I'm sorry for earlier." Katara says when Zuko walks into Oria's nursery later that night. He hadn't seen her much after she had the spat with Aang. He figured it was probably for the best. He had spent most of the day discussing politics with Aang and updating him on trade status with the other nations. "I shouldn't have lashed out like that. It's- It's just that can't stand how he acts like it's somehow my fault that he strayed while he was gone. I hate how he acts like I am supposed to just accept what happened and get over it."

"I know." He says, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "How are my girls doing?"

"Good. She's a little fussy tonight." She says, looking down at the baby who was laying drowsily in her arms. She was dressed in simple sleeping robes. The bright pink let him know that they were a gift from Ty Lee. The girl seemed to send the baby a new wardrobe every couple of weeks. "She didn't eat much for dinner. I'll probably be up later tonight to give her another bottle. She's starting to test us. She was holding her breath earlier."

"Azula used to do that when mom wouldn't give her what she wanted. I think she was about seven or eight when she finally stopped… It was right before mom left."

"Ursa said that you were bad about it when you were her age." Katara says, giving him a small smile. "Not every naughty thing she does makes her just like her mother. Azula was sick, Zuko. With your father filling her head with all those thoughts…" Katara bounces Oria as she starts to whimper. "Then she convinced herself that your mother didn't love her. I don't think she ever had much of a chance. She didn't get a chance to learn how to properly care for someone."

"I guess you're right." He says, rubbing the thick hair on top of the baby's head. The little girls' eyes start to drift shut at her uncle's touch. "I'm just worried that she will turn out like her mom. I don't think the world can handle another Azula. My father ruined her."

"There's a big difference between Oria and Azula." Katara says, leaning back against Zuko's chest. "It's the same thing that caused you and Azula to be so different in the first place. She is going to have good influences surrounding her. You had your mother and then Iroh."

"It didn't help that much" He says, shaking his head. "I had to go on a six-year journey before I was finally able to do the right thing. I hurt a lot of people, I hurt you. I think that being evil is in our blood."

"Evils not in your blood." She says, turning around and handing the baby to him. "You did the right thing in the end. That's what really matters. You struggled with yourself for a long time that's true. Look what you have accomplished over the last few years. The world is starting to get at peace. The nations are starting to collaborate. The trade routes are opening up, people aren't having to live in fear of the Fire Nation. You helped end a war that had been raging on for over a hundred years. We would have never been able to do it without you. I would have never come to terms with my mother's death and if it wasn't for you… If it wasn't for you, I would have not made it through Aang leaving me."

"You would have been fine. You're strong, Katara."

"I wasn't then." She says, directing her blue eyes to the ground. "I was the weakest I have ever been."

Zuko looks at her, his face scrunched up in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"I got into a dark place when Aang and I broke up. I had been alone for six months, I didn't know when he was coming back or even _if_ he was going to come back. I didn't have much contact with anyone while I was living alone in the temple. The nearest town was miles away, so there wasn't like there was anyone that I could easily socialize with. I thought about leaving a few times, but I kept thinking that he was going to come home and worry because I wasn't there. I figured that if I left a note, he might not find it and think something bad happened. Then I went to town to restock my supplies and…" She pauses, holding back a sob. "And he was there… with all those other girls… It hurt. It hurt bad. I blamed myself… I figured that I did something to drive him away. I kept trying to think what I did to deserve it. I-"Tears start to stream down her face. "I got to the point where I didn't want to live anymore."

"Katara…" Zuko whispers, pulling her into a tight hug. Oria stirs wide awake at the movement. Noticing the tears on her adoptive mother's face, the lays her head on Katara's shoulder. Her chubby hand begins to pat Katara's arm gently. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you've ever felt that way."

Katara lets out a wet, half laugh. "Don't be." She says, burying her face into his shoulder. "You saved me. You saved my life Zuko."

 **A/N: I hope that you are all enjoying the story so far. It has been extremely easy to write and I'm finding myself pouring a lot into it. So, let me know your thoughts. Any reviews (even if it's one word) mean the absolute world to me.**

 **I would like to know if anyone would be interested in hearing about Katara and Aangs break up in detail. I'm debating making a oneshot about it or maybe doing a flashback chapter. I would really like to hear thoughts about that.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading and the reviews. If you would like to see anything let me know. I love hearing ideas and suggestions.**

jacpin2002- I was very excited to see your review. I'm glad that you're liking the story so far. Azula's baby daddy is certainly going to be a surprise. Even for me, I'm still debating on who it could be and if he will eventually play a role in the story. Hopefully you got your answers about Aang in this chapter. I'm really enjoying writing it. In fact, I'm working on it right now. I just took a break to address you. A Zutara baby would certainly be interesting in this situation! Especially, with all the possible drama it can create. I hope to see your thoughts soon!

Arwen347\- Yep! It was a hard decision to have them lie to Aang. I almost backed out and changed it, but the story just seemed to flow out once I made the decision.

katieeblaah- I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I haven't seen anything quite like this. Hopefully, it's enjoyable.


	4. Suki's Surprise

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Suki's Surprise_

"She's getting so big." Suki says, holding Oria's hands as she bounces the baby on her lap. "It seems like it was just yesterday that she was the size of a Moon Peach."

"It's been something else." Katara admits, leaning back in her chair. Her feet were killing her, she had been up all-night walking Oria around the palace in a futile attempt to get the young princess to fall asleep. The girl had been screaming and throwing, Katara had initially tried to let her cry it out, but after an hour she had broke down and gotten her out of her crib. She knew it was a mistake to feed into the frenzy, but she couldn't take the screaming anymore. "She's a handful already. I don't know how we are going to be able to handle the teenage years."

"If she's anything like Zuko she's going to be extremely angsty." Sukie laughs, kissing the baby's chubby cheek.

Katara joins in the laughter, as she kicks off her shoes. She was glad that Suki was here. The girl had arrived sometime after midnight last night on important Kyoshi Warrior business. There had been an assassination attempt on the Earth King, an attack that Katara suspected stemmed from the young king's hypochondria. It seemed that a new story of attempted assassination of the Earth King happened every six or seven months. This time, he suspected that someone had poisoned his food. From what Katara understood, there wasn't any evidence to suggest that the incident had occurred. The food had gone through it's normal testing measures and the designated food taster was perfectly healthy. Last time, someone had supposedly sawed through the legs of his dinning chair to kill him in a tragic, two-foot fall. After the last "attempt" he had hired the Kyoshi Warriors. Suki had spent the morning telling Katara about the strange way that the man acted.

"So…" Suki says, looking over the top of Oria's head. "How has it been having Aang here?"

"It's like a nightmare." Katara groans, rubbing her temples. The Avatar had stayed a lot longer that they had initially planned. It had been almost a month since his arrival and he seemed to be making himself at home here in the palace. "I've been trying to avoid him as much as possible." She admits. "I'm trying to be civil, but it doesn't appear that we can be in the same room without fighting. It's like he lashes out at me for what happened but won't say anything to Zuko."

"Maybe because you two were in a relationship." Suki says, with a shrug. "He might take it as more of a betrayal from you and see's it as Zuko just feeding his _needs_." The last word makes her scrunch her face. "I still can't believe that he said that to you."

"I don't know what go into him." She says, shaking her head. "He wasn't like that when we started dating. It was like the whole idea of sex embarrassed him."

"I guess it doesn't surprise me too much. You told me once that he had kissed you after you had said that you were still trying to work out your feelings towards him. That may have just been the start..." Leaning back against the crib, Suki runs her hand through Oria's soft hair. "He was also _thirteen_ when the two of you started dating. I guess things probably changed as he got older and figured out that his penis had another function."

Katara laughs despite herself. "You may be right about that one."

Handing Oria her favorite doll, Suki studies the small child. "She looks a lot like Zuko. I can see a lot of Azula in her too. I guess it's a good thing that they are siblings, the story wouldn't have worked out well if she had looked like whoever her father was."

"We got lucky on that regard. We initially planned on telling people that she was simply adopted, but she carries too many of the royal genes for people not to notice." Katara says, trying to smooth down the baby's hair again. The hair just didn't want to be tamed. "Zuko didn't want people to think that he had a mistress. It would have a lot of other girls to come here and try to acquire the position for themselves. Not that it's stopped them anyway. You would be surprised how many men volunteer their daughters for the position."

"That's disgusting."

"Tell me about it."

"Are you and Zuko planning on having your own baby?" Suki asks with a smug smile that makes the heat rise to Katara's cheeks.

"I don't know… It just doesn't seem to be the right time. We're busy taking care of Oria and then there is all this with Aang… Zuko is about to create a whole new city that has to benefit those of every nation. It just seems like a lot to deal with already and I don't know if it would be right to add a baby on top of all that."

"It's never going to feel like the right time if you have an attitude like that. There is always going to be something in the way. Something that makes it seem like it won't be a good idea… But you and Zuko are building a home here. You two are amazing together. You're working towards a bright future. What do you want?"

Katara smiles. "I want a baby. All the sleepless nights seemed like a lot at first, but I love Oria so much and she's not even my biological daughter. I want that with a baby that is mine and Zuko's."

"I figured." She says, reaching out a hand to pat Katara's shin." For what it's worth, the two of you make excellent parents. I really hope that Sokka and I can be as great as the both of you when our baby is born."

Katara pauses for a moment. "When its born? Do you mean… Suki are you pregnant?"

"I was going to wait to tell you, but I couldn't." Suki says, pulling up the hem of her shirt to show Katara her slightly swollen belly. "I'm not that far along, but the healers said I was past the danger zone and it was safe to start telling people."

"I'm so happy for you!" Katara says, all but leaping from the chair to give Suki a hug. "I can't believe it!" She exclaims, putting her hand against Suki's stomach. "I'm going to be an aunt!"

"You're taking this a lot better than Sokka did. At first he thought I was playing a joke on him and then when he figured out that I wasn't he started to panic."

"That sounds like my brother." Katara says, shaking her head. "Have you decided where you're going to live yet. You have traveled a lot over the last few years. Sokka went with Toph to work with her Earthbending students and you were here guarding Zuko, then you both went to the North and South poles for some time, and then there was Kyoshi Island."

"I think I'll be going back to Kyoshi for the first year or two after the baby is born." She says, tucking a strand of short brown hair behind her ear. "It's a lot warmer there than the South Pole. I will also be able to train the new recruits. The Kyoshi warriors have gotten to be really popular, we have a bunch of girls who are wanting to join up. We even have Water Tribe and Fire Nation recruits this year."

"It sounds like you have a lot planned out. Where is Sokka going to be?"

"He's finishing up with some of the expansions in the Southern Water tribe. He finished rebuilding his watch tower three months ago and now he's working on building a better port for all the ships that are coming in."

"It sounds like things are really getting better there." After the end of the war the Southern Water Tribe had become somewhat of a tourist attraction. Many people were traveling to see the place where the Avatar had been found after having spent a hundred years frozen in ice. The incoming travelers had done an amazing job of helping the economy of the Water Tribe. The tribe was now able to fund much needed improvements to the conditions of the homes and buildings.

"So much has improved over the last few years. It's almost like a whole new place. You would hardly recognize it if you saw it."

Katara's fingers drift to the necklace around her neck. She didn't know why, but the idea of her childhood home going under such a drastic change bothered her. She hadn't been back to the Water Tribe in over two years. She had made a brief trip with Sokka a few months before and Aang had went to stay in one of the Air Temples. It had changed a lot in the short time between that visit and the previous one. She had no doubt that she wouldn't recognize it now. She hoped that they had at least kept the memorial that was set up for her mother. The Water Tribe and the Fire Nation shared a similar custom of cremating the remains of their loved ones after death, so there wasn't a grave that Katara could visit. It was okay, she supposed, she always carried a part of her mother with her.

Suki tilts her head to look at Katara's face. "Are you feeling okay? You look unwell."

Snapping her head up, Katara forces a smile for the other girl. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking… What do you say we go shopping later today? I can buy my niece or nephew some cute outfits."

"That sounds great."

* * *

Zuko smiles as Oria plays with the little Earth Kingdom doll that Uncle Iroh had given her. It amazed him how differently she acted with toys than her mother. Maybe it was only because she wasn't strong enough to break it yet. They were sitting under the large tree at the edge of the pond in his mother's garden. He had laid out a blanket and brought out a snack for the two of them to share. With Katara gone on a shopping trip with Suki and Aang busy with his meditation, he thought that it would be a good idea to take Oria out to get some fresh air.

To be honest, he was glad to be taking a break from the Avatar. Due to the circumstances surrounding his and Katara's relationship it made being around the younger boy extremely uncomfortable. Though Aang never came out and said it, Zuko felt that he held some resentment towards him for starting up a relationship with Katara. Maybe Zuko shouldn't have done it. Aang was one of his best friends and he had just gotten out of a relationship with Katara, but he felt like everything turned out for the best. Katara and him needed each other and even if it was wrong, he wouldn't take it back.

"She looks a lot like Azula did at that age." A voice says from behind him. Turning around, he sees his mom standing behind him. She looked like she did when he was growing up. She had gotten her true face back and that had brought a great deal of comfort to Zuko. Though it was taking his half sister some time to get used to.

Zuko looks back to Oria. "You know." He says, it was a statement, not a question. This was the first time that his mom had acknowledged Oria was Azula's daughter. "How did you find out?"

"I've always known." She admits, sitting down on the blanket next to her son and granddaughter. "She looked too much like your sister."

"You didn't say anything when we announced that we had her."

"I suspected that you had your reasons for doing what you did. I understand what it's like to do something in order to save the life of a child." She says, her eyes were focused on Oria, but her gaze seemed to be distant. "It's a noble thing that you're doing, taking care of your sisters' child like this. I know that the two of you never got along well. When I left, I had hoped that the two of you would become closer. It doesn't appear that things worked out that way."

"I don't think there is ever going to be a time that Azula and I can be friends."

"I hope that is not true."

Zuko shifts uncomfortably. He didn't think his mother quite understood the depth of Azula's mental instability. He hadn't even realized how bad it was until he had seen the major breakdown she had after the Agni Kai all those years ago. All of this made him question how she came to the decision to leave Oria with him in the first place. He had first suspected that it was just a random child used to gain entrance back into the palace, but Azula seemed to love the child. Then again, Azula had always been a good liar. A very good one. Maybe she did love Oria, but why choose to leave her with Zuko? Did it really have to do with her wanting to keep the child safe? Where exactly had she run away to that wouldn't allow her to bring the baby with her?

"She's such a beautiful little turtle duck." Ursa says, lifting Oria and putting her down in her lap to get a better look at her. "I remember the day you were born." She says, looking towards Zuko. "I was terrified. I had no idea what to do, but when I looked at you... I knew none of that mattered. I knew I loved you and I would do anything to keep you safe. That's probably how Azula felt when she saw her daughter for the first time." She tilts Oria up by the chin, so she could get a better look at her face. "I wish I could have been there for your sister. Childbirth is a lot to go through alone."

"She wanted to be alone. She's the one who ran away."

"Your sister is unstable, Zuko. She's also very confused. Ozai really did a number on her. I blame myself for not being there to save the two of you from him."

Zuko looks down at his feet. He didn't want to admit it, but he was still extremely angry for his mother leaving him. He understood why she had done it, but there were always questions prowling at the back of his mind. Was there really no other way? Could she not have fled the Fire Nation with both her children? Why was it so easy for her to move on and create a new life without the two children that she had left behind? He didn't wasn't to think the worst of his mother, he really didn't, but he hated her sometimes for what she did to him and Azula.

"I'm going to take Oria back inside." Zuko says, rising to his feet. "It's time for her nap and I have some work to do."

"I'll take care of her." Ursa says, holding the young girl a little closer to her chest. "I would like to spend a little more time with my granddaughter."

"Okay, mom. I'll see you soon." After giving his mother a quick hug, and pecking Oria on the cheek, Zuko leaves.

Once Zuko has left the garden, Ursa looks down to the child in her arms. "I failed your mother." She says, Oria babbles in response. Her chubby hands reaching for the decorative beading on her grandmothers' chest. "I failed your mother miserably and for that I am deeply sorry. If I had been a better mother, if I had tried harder. Maybe… Maybe, she would be around to raise you up properly. I'm sorry that your mother isn't here for you. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you."

 **A/N: I hope you all are enjoying the story this far. I'm working on a flashback chapter for Katara and Aangs breakup and that should be coming out soon. I hope everyone has a great Thanks Giving. Let me know what you think of the chapter. I love hearing what you have to say.**


	5. Moving Forward

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Moving Forward_

"I can't deal with you anymore!" Katara's voice screams from somewhere in the palace, echoing off the walls. Zuko didn't have to see her face to know that she was mad. He could almost envision the vein in her forehead popping out, as she clinched her hands into tight fists at her sides. "I'm so sick of you trying to act like what you did was no big deal and I'm just supposed to get over it."

The Fire Lord quickens his pace as he heads in the direction of his wife's voice. You didn't have to know Katara for too long before you figure out that her getting angry wasn't something to be take lightly. His mind briefly lashed back to the time she had threatened to end his life if he did anything to hurt Aang. It seemed that threat was now null and void.

"It wasn't a big deal, Katara." Aang says, making Zuko shake his head. The boy was just digging himself a deeper hole. One that he would probably never be able to get himself out of.

Suki's voice pipes a moment later. "Maybe we should all walk away before things get too heated and we say things that we don't mean."

Zuko exits the palace and steps out onto the covered walkway, Suki's eyes flicker to him desperation covering her face as if she was begging him to put an end to the argument between the avatar and his former teacher. Katara looked just like he imagined, but she was covered in water. It dripped from her hair and clothes, forming a rather large puddle on the floor. He wondered for a brief moment why she had not dried herself. His amber eyes turn to Aang who was almost as wet as Katara.

"What's going on out here?" He asks, stepping between the two of them in hopes that they wouldn't try to fight out their problems if someone else was in the way.

"This idiot doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut." Katara says, pointing an accusatory finger at Aang.

"You are completely over reacting. I only said that our child would have been cuter than Oria. You had to take it to another level by bringing up the past."

Zuko felt his own hands twitch at the words coming out of Aang's mouth. Sure, the Avatar had only made the comment out of spite. Oria wasn't even Zuko's biological daughter. She wasn't Katara's either. However, the disrespect that Aang was showing to his family really ticked him off.

"Shut your stupid mouth before I shut it for you." Katara snaps, bending the water off her soaking body, leaving it to twirl around her right arm. She was angry, so angry that her body had started to shake, and tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. Seeing his wife on the verge of tears gave a sinking feeling to Zuko's stomach.

"Aang, I think it would be best for us to cut this trip short." It wouldn't be cutting the trip short, so much as making Aang finally leave. He had been here far longer than had originally been planned and a hell of a lot longer than either Katara or Zuko wanted him there. It had been two months, three weeks, and a day since the Avatar had arrived.

Aang glances at each of them, apparently hoping that someone would say something that would all him to stay just awhile longer. Katara was still fuming and Suki remained quiet, turning her eyes to the ground when Aang looked to her. "It seems that I have overstayed my welcome." He says, straightening his back. "I'll be gone by tomorrow morning. I need the night to prepare Appa and get some of my affairs in order."

Katara lets out a sob as soon as Aang disappears from sight. Suki rushes over to wrap her arms around the younger woman, whispering words of comfort as Zuko glares daggers in the direction that Aang had left. Something had changed in Aang over the years and it certainly wasn't for the better. Maybe it had to do with the stress and the burden of the world that had been placed on the young man's shoulders at such a young age. Maybe it was just because as he grew older, he became more of a jerk. Whatever the problem was, it seemed like it was only getting worse.

"I'm sorry, Katara." He says, using his left hand to wipe the tears off of her face. "I should have made him leave a lot sooner."

"It's okay." She says, her voice cracking. "I'm okay."

"Let's go sit down and have a cup of tea." Suki says, leading Katara back into the palace. Zuko tells them that he will join them shorty, he just wanted to make sure that Aang was getting ready to leave.

When Appa disappeared over the horizon at sunrise the next morning, Katara felt nothing but relief. The tension that she had been carrying in her body since his arrival seemed to be easing its way from her body. Being around him had caused her to act a bit out of character, but the way that he played off something that had deeply hurt her, only made her more upset. She had lost her cool when he insulted her daughter, even if Oria wasn't her own, the snide comment had hit deep. She had reacted quickly and without much thought. It wasn't until a couple weeks later that she discovered what was making her emotions go awry.

* * *

"I'm going to get you!" Zuko hears Katara saying from somewhere out in the garden. The sound of Oria's delighted squeals follows soon after. Oria runs in Zuko's direction, wobbling unsteadily on her bare feet, giggling the whole way. Katara follows after her, leaving a decent amount of space between the two of them so that the young girl would think that she was winning.

Oria dramatically falls into Zuko's lap, kicking her feet and laughing loudly. Katara falls to her knees in front of them, teaming up, they tickle the girl until she's red in the face. When they stop to let her breathe, she takes a few deep breaths before holding up her arms to be tickled again.

As they all start to relax under the shade of the willow in the garden, Zuko takes a look at his small family. Oria was falling asleep, her eyes were slowly drifting open and closed as Katara stroked her hair. Katara was humming that Zuko would hear from her often. It was a song from the water tribes that her mother used as a lullaby for Katara and Sokka when they were small. His wife looked tired, it probably had to do with the fact that she was having some trouble sleeping through the night. His hand drifts over to rest against her rounding stomach. It wouldn't be much longer before their second child was born.

Katara had discovered that she was pregnant about two weeks after Aang had left. It was Iroh who had noticed before anyone else. She was about six weeks along at that point. The water bender hadn't thought much about her moon time being late. In fact, she had forgotten all about it. Her focus had been on working on the orphanage, that was now prospering greatly, and taking care of Oria. Uncle Iroh had brought the subject up, assuming that Katara had already been aware of her own pregnancy.

Katara had rambled on and on about it probably had something to do with the conversation she had with Suki. She had found it slightly ironic that she was talking about having a baby with Zuko when she was already pregnant. Being the dreamer that she was, she took the whole situation as some sign of her future. Zuko thought the whole thing was ridiculous.

"Just a couple more months to go." Katara says, watching his hand as it rubs her stomach.

"It's hard to believe that things are changing so quickly." He says, laying back on the ground to stare at the clouds. "If someone would have told me that I was going to end up like this, I would have never believed them."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Considering for a long time I believed that I was going to be forced to live in my life in exile, I would say that it's a good thing."

Katara gives him a soft smile. "I'm glad that things turned out the way that they did. It wasn't what I expected, but I got what I needed."

He takes her hand and presses it to his lips. "I needed you too. I wouldn't have ever thought my life could feel this whole. Not after everything I have gone through. You have stayed with me all these years and have had no reason to."

"I've have had every reason to."

Zuko smiles, he really needed to get back to work. There had been a few more reports of people who had claimed to have seen Azula at some corner of the world. The claims weren't uncommon in the slightest. Many people had claimed to have seen her, hoping that they would get some kind of reward for turning in the princess. He wasn't quite sure how they had come to that conclusion, he had never put out any type offer.

Part of him hoped that they would never find her. She had been rather quiet these last few years, other than the visit in which she had left Oria, they hadn't heard anything from her at all. Some nights he expected her to show back up and demand that they return her daughter. He didn't want to do that. He believed that the child was far safer in his care in the Fire Nation than on the streets or where ever his younger sister was staying. She wasn't stable. It wouldn't be responsible to give Oria back to her. Azula needed to be in the mental institution receiving more treatment.

Katara hums softly beside him, her fingers twisting to interlock with his. One thing was for certain. This was his family and he didn't want to give it up.

 **A/N: I lied about adding a chapter about Katara and Aangs breakup. The story was getting far too long to be a single chapter and I didn't want to add several in just a flashback. So, I am adding a prequel. The first chapter is already up. This chapter is really just a filler chapter. Let me know if the story is starting to bore you.**


	6. Just Like Her Mother

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Just Like Her Mother_

"Oria, I am really disappointed in your behavior today." Katara says, her voice cool, but stern. The whole family was sitting at the dinning table, one thing that Katara had insisted upon was having dinner as a family every night. Some days it couldn't be helped, but for the most part it seemed to work. Oria was sitting across from her adopted mother, shoving her dumplings around on her plate. A frown pulled at the five-year-old's lips making her look even more like her birth mother.

"They started it." Oria mutters, shoving a dumpling in her mouth.

"It doesn't matter who started it." Zuko says, resting his hands on the table as he looks at his niece. "You cannot go around lighting people on fire because they said something that you didn't like."

Oria had started her official fire bending training a year ago. They had discovered rather quickly that the young girl didn't take criticism well. She didn't like to be told what she did wrong and certainly didn't like being corrected for making a mistake in her form. Two trainers had already quit on them and this made the third. The girls temper kept getting out of hand and her parents were at their wits end with trying to control it.

"Someone could have been hurt." Katara says, taking a damp rag to wipe her sons face. Lu Ten was growing like a weed. He was tall for a three-year-old and smart too. He had started coming into his bending a three months ago, a full six months earlier than Oria. Zuko shouldn't have felt prideful about that little fact, but he couldn't help it.

"I know mom." Oria says, not trying to hide her annoyance at the fact that she was once again being lectured for her misbehavior.

Shaking his head, Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose. What was he going to do with her? She didn't seem to care that she was getting into trouble for the way that she was behaving. She just seemed annoyed that it was being brought up in the first place. "When you're done with dinner you will finish your homework, take a bath, and then go to bed."

"But, dad…"

"I don't want to hear it, Oria." He says, trying to keep his voice stern. He had a tendency of being a bit of a pushover when it came to the kids, but this was different than staying up five more minutes or having an extra cookie after dinner. Someone could have been seriously hurt because of Oria's outburst and she needed to be punished for it.

"You will also be helping to clean the training area tomorrow." Katara says, taking a bite of her own dumplings.

Oria opens her mouth to complain, but wisely thinks better of it. The rest of dinner goes by quickly and quietly. Zuko and Katara discuss the building of Republic City and the trade routes to the Earth Kingdom that were having some issues with pirates. Oria stays silent for the rest of the meal, she spends her time eating slowly with a brooding look on her face.

After Oria left to finish her homework and the nanny took Lu Ten to the nursery, Katara and Zuko head back to their room for a talk. Zuko's mind had been flashing back to the day that Azula had lit their own master's pants on fire when he corrected her for having her arms spread too wide. Of course, Ozai had supported her actions and written the man off as a fool who had no idea what he was doing. The man was fired and banished from the capital.

"She doesn't seem to care about getting in trouble." Katara says, sitting down in front of her large vanity. She starts to rearrange the vials and bottles of perfumes and lotions. She did this every time they talked about Oria's behavior.

Zuko sighs. "I know." Sitting down on the edge of the large bed, he rests his head in his hands. "I don't know what has gotten into her lately. She was such a sweet baby and now she's too stubborn to listen to a thing we tell her."

"Maybe it's just a phase." Katara says, in a way that makes it sound more like a hopeful question than a statement. She picks up a bottle of perfume, a beautiful hand-crafted bottle that was made from sapphires, it was a wedding gift from Zuko. He had found it while he was on a trip, he said that the color and the smell of fire lilies had reminded him of her. "Maybe we were destined to be shit parents."

He lifts his head from his hands at her words. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Katara shrugs. "We both grew up without parents. Our dads were off fighting a war and weren't there to raise us. Our mothers were forced from our lives when we were really too young to fully understand what was going on. It's…. It's not like we exactly had a stable foundation."

"We aren't bad parent." He says, walking over to wrap his arms around her from behind. His eyes watch her face in the mirror, she looked tired. "We just have a tough kid. I think she has too much of her mother in her. She doesn't care to think things through, she just knows that if she's unhappy she can make others unhappy."

"I hope Lu Ten doesn't act the same way." She says, leaning back against him. She places her hands on his forearms and smiles when he squeezes her tighter.

"Me too." He says, placing a kiss on her hair.

Someone knocks on the door. "Your highness." A voice says, from the other side of the door. "Master Toph has just arrived and wishes to speak to you."

"Toph?" Zuko says, turning to look at Katara. "Did you know that she was coming?"

She shakes her head. "She never said anything to me about it."

* * *

The duo exits their room, going to the foyer where Toph is waiting. She looked pretty much the same as they did when they were kids. Her hair was still done up the same as always, though now she had a new headpiece that she wore along with it. She was no longer a short thirteen-year-old kid, she was now a tall woman who walked with her shoulders straight and her head held high. Her mother was probably thrilled that her teachings had eventually held some ground in her rebellious daughter. Toph had a lot to be proud of, she was the owner of an extremely successful Metal Bending Academy and the Chief of Police in the newly founded Republic City. She was also the proud young mother of Lin Beifong.

"Hello Sugar Queen, Hottman." Toph says, nodding to them each in turn a small smile playing on the corners of her lips. Not everything had changed. Lin sat quietly in her mother's arms, she was a rather quiet child, unlike Oria and Lu Ten. The almost two-year-old tended to wear a serious look on her face, Katara found it unusual, but Iroh insisted that it was because she was a great thinker.

"It's great to see you again." Katara says, a smile lighting up her face. "Lin is getting so big, she looks so much like you did when we were younger."

"She's tough like I was too." Toph says, a triumphant smile on her face. She was proud of her daughter, Katara often got letters telling her of the latest milestone that the young girl had made.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from the daughter of Toph Beifong." Zuko says, with a slight laugh. The daughter of Toph Beifong was the only way to explain the kid. Not only did she bare a strong resemblance to her mother, much like Oria did to Azula, the identity of Lin's father was unknown.

Katara had been the one nominated to ask about Lin's parentage when it was first announced that Toph had got pregnant. Toph hadn't had the best reaction, she had used a colorful string of words to tell Katara to mind her own business. As far as anyone had knew, Toph wasn't dating anyone and she had never mentioned having a date with anyone. Sokka had the unprecedented theory that she had created the child herself by some magical earth bending. Zuko had rolled his eyes when the words came out of Sokka's mouth, for someone who claimed to be a "man of science" he quickly jumped to some unreasonable conclusions.

"I need to put Lin down for a nap." The toddler had a look on her face that made her look irritated at her surroundings. "Then we need to discuss some business."

Zuko waves over a maid to show Toph to the room that she and Lin would be staying in.

"There's trouble in Republic City." Toph says. They were in Zuko's office, the office that Katara had redecorated when she moved in with Zuko. A part of her wondered if the original dark colors and dim lighting of the room is what drove so many of the Fire Lords to bitterness or if they just happened to be born that way. "It seems that there is a group that opposes the unification of the nations. They have been destroying all the capital buildings as fast as we can build them. Especially, the United Nations building."

"What do we know about the group?" Zuko asks, leaning forward in his chair. "Are they violent or are they just destructive?"

"There haven't been any reported attacks in relation to the group. We think that they are just a group of teenagers with nothing better to do than cause trouble. They call themselves the Elements." Toph says, rolling her milky white eyes. "They couldn't even bother to think up anything good. As far as I'm concerned, they are just a pain in my ass."

"If it is just a group of teenagers, why haven't they been caught yet?" Katara asks, earning herself a glare from Toph.

"Because it's more complicated than a bunch of bratty kids." She says, crossing her arms over her chest and letting out a huff. "I think what we have is a cult."

"A cult?" Zuko asks. "What makes you think that it's a cult?"

"They have a leader of some kind. From what I can tell, it's an older bender or at least one who was very well trained. They weren't an amateur Earth Bender like the ones who are doing most of the destruction. I think whoever it is, is helping the brats hide out and disappear when we come to get them." Toph shakes her head. "Teenagers keep disappearing and then the parents and their friends claim to see them running around with this crap gang. It's becoming an epidemic."

"And you think it's an Earth Bender who is leading them?" Katara asks, getting the affirmative nod from Toph. "It's clearly someone who is against the unification of the nations. They probably have something to lose if Republic City was to become successful in the future."

"Whoever it is, needs to be stopped as soon as possible." Zuko says, placing his hands on the table as he rises to his feet. He begins to pace around the room, a habit that he had never been able to break. "If Republic City fails it will only create a backslide. We can't go back to war with each other."

Toph scoffs. "As if I didn't already know that. I came here to get you and Katara, Aang arrived in Republic City a week ago."

"One of us needs to stay here in the Fire Nation." Zuko says, glancing in Katara's direction. He knew that she wouldn't want to be anywhere near Aang and they did need someone to take care of the Fire Nation's daily affairs while he was gone. He supposed he could ask Uncle Iroh to help them out, but he really didn't want to be playing peacemaker between Katara and Aang at the same time he was trying to play peacemaker in the city he had help create. "Katara, you know how to run the kingdom. Oria and Lu Ten will also need someone to watch over them."

"I don't want to turn my back on those who need me, Zuko."

"Your kids need you too."

"Let me guess." Toph says, leaning back in her chair and propping her feet on the desk, much to Zuko's annoyance. "Sugar Queen and Twinkle Toes still aren't getting along. It's been seven years since you broke up. Isn't it time to grow up and get over what happened?"

"You're one to talk." Katara says, turning in her wooden chair to face Toph. "You won't tell anyone a single detail about Lin's father. Anytime we bring it up, you flip out and won't talk about it."

"Fair enough." She replies, giving a shrug. "Still, we would probably be better off if we have the whole team there. Sokka won't be able to be there, he's still really messed up about what happened to Suki."

Katara and Zuko hang their heads at the mention of Suki's name. Her death was a tragedy and poor Sokka had been struggling to cope with what had happened. He had turned to work in order to dull out the pain, when Katara had gone to visit him he had spent most of the time locked up in his office. She was worried about him, but as time passed, he was getting more involved with the world outside the eight by eight room. He wrote her often, giving her updates about his life and about the progress that Uki was making. She seemed to be a very bright girl, like her parents she wasn't exhibiting any bending abilities, but she was already being trained with both the fan and the boomerang. The girl was Sokka's pride and joy.

"It's fine." Katara says, twisting a stand of hair around her index finger. "I'm going to stay here with the children. I don't think it would be right to leave them here alone, not with the way Oria has been behaving lately.'

"What has she been doing?"

"She doesn't accept not getting her way very well." Zuko says, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "She has been throwing tantrums and she lit her teacher on fire this morning."

"Well, she _IS_ Azula's daughter." Toph says, as if it explained everything. "What did you expect?"

"Just because she's her daughter doesn't mean that they are the same person. Look at you and your family, you're nothing like your parents. You had to run away from home because they were so unaccepting of your choices."

"My parents were uptight because they were taught to be." Toph replies, with a shrug. She points a finger in Zuko's direction. "Azula was a crazed power-hungry psycho, so was your dad, and his dad, and on and on and on. We got lucky that you took after your mother."

"I don't think that is the case." Katara says, shaking her head so hard that her hair falls into her face. Swooping in away with the back of her hand, she sits up a little straighter. "I think that it has a lot to do with how you are raised. You rejected your parents. Zuko rejected his father because he never agreed with the way the man handled war, he also had Iroh and Ursa influencing him to be good. Then there was Azula who was constantly being trained by Ozia with no one to buffer his bitterness."

"Then it comes down to the question. What's stronger nature or nurture?"

 **A/N: So, this is the update. Let me know what you think about Oria's behavior. Was she born with it or is it just typical kid stuff? If you have any suggestions, let me know. I would love to hear any of your thoughts about the story and see some suggestions about what direction it should take.**


	7. Who is Azula?

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Who is Azula?_

Katara was at her wits end dealing with her children. They had been fighting all day and it was driving her insane. Not to mention the fact that she had to keep putting out the fires that Lu Ten had caused. The young boy was having some problems controlling his bending, she supposed that it should be expected, he had come into it far younger than the average kid normally did. By the time 10 **:** 30 hit she was begging the spirits for it to already be nap time.

"Lady Katara." Lu Tens nanny says, coming into the room and picking up the young boy. "I was asked to remind you that your presence will be required in the throne room today."

Handing Lu Ten to the nanny, Katara smooths out her dress. She was going to have to change before she went to hear the complaints of the citizens, her outfit was a sticky mess from Lu Ten grabbing her after he ate sticky buns. She gives him a kiss on the head before leaving.

She stops by Oria's room on her way back to the Fire Nation Suite. She had grown out of the nursery a couple years ago, now she took up residence in Azula's old bedroom. Katara had cleaned out a lot of the stuff from Azula's childhood. She had found a whole box of dolls with missing heads, that had made her particularly uncomfortable. There was one doll that had seemed to make it out of Azula's destructive childhood unscathed. The Fire Nation baby doll sat on Oria's bed, the girl had grown an unspoked attachment to it. Zuko had said that it came from his mother, the last gift that she had given Azula before she disappeared. Katara held onto the hope that that meant something.

"Don't forget that you have your lessons today after lunch." Katara says, leaning on the doorframe as she looks at her daughter. The girl sat on the floor in front of the bed working diligently on a picture that she was drawing. "What do you have there?"

"A present for Daddy." The young girl says, turning the picture around so Katara could see.

It wasn't bad for her age. It was already miles above what Sokka had done as a teenager. The picture was a drawing of their family. Katara and Zuko stood holding hands, smiles plastered on their faces. Lu Ten stood next to them, much smaller than the rest. What caught Katara's attention was that Oria was a good distance away from the rest of the family.

"It's beautiful, my love." Katara says, admiring the work. "Why are you so far away from everyone else?"

Oria shrugs. "Daddy doesn't like me."

Katara feels herself starting to pale. "Oh, my love, that's not true." She says, crossing the room to hug her daughter tight. "Your daddy loves you very much. He just has a hard time showing it."

Tears start to build up in Oria's eyes. "He loves Lu Ten more."

"Daddy… Daddy just gets scared sometimes. He doesn't want you to get into trouble." Katara says, smoothing Oria's hair out of her face. "You know, when you were a baby Daddy was always checking on you? I used to catch him watching you sleep in the middle of the night. I asked him about it and he said that he wanted to make sure that you were still there."

"He did?" Oria sniffles, rubbing her nose on the sleeve of her shirt.

"He did." Katara nods, leaning close to Oria's ear she whispers. "I'll tell you a secret, he still does. He wants to make sure that his little girl is safe in bed."

Oria smiles, but it doesn't quite meet her eyes. Katara was going to have a long talk with Zuko. He was starting to let his feelings towards Azula cloud his judgement of Oria and the young girl sensed it. The fact that it was happening made Katara angry. She didn't want her child to feel unloved.

"I have to go to a meeting." Katara says, placing a kid on her daughters' forehead. "What do you think about us getting you some art lessons?"

"I want to do that."

Katara nods, getting up to leave. She was going to have a busy day ahead of her. Finding a good art teacher shouldn't be that difficult, maybe Iroh knew someone who would suffice. She was almost out the door when Oria spoke up with a question that made her blood turn cold.

"Who is Azula?"

"Where- where did you hear that name?" Katara asks, turning around quickly to face her daughter.

"I heard grandma say that I was just like Azula." Oria says, looking down at her painting as she continues where she left off.

"Azula is your aunt. Your daddy's little sister." Katara says, searching her mind for the appropriate thing to say. They didn't talk much about her, especially not around Oria since she had gotten old enough to understand what they were saying.

"Where is she? Can I meet her?"

"Your Aunt Azula… She's… she's been away on an adventure for a long time. I don't know if she's going to come back."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know Oria. She didn't tell anyone where she was going."

Disappointment clouds her features and Katara shifts uncomfortably. A part of her had hoped that they would never have to talk to Oria about Azula. As far as she was concerned, Oria was their daughter and nothing would change that.

"I have to get going. Finish up your painting and you can give it to your father when he comes back from Republic City."

* * *

Katara sighs inwardly as another man comes into the throne room to make a complaint. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if not for the fact that these problems were trivial and something that the person should be handling on their own.

The man in front of her, a lanky older man with a thick wild growing beard, stood in front of her complaining that his Chicken-pigs kept escaping their enclosure and getting ate by the local wild life. He demanded that the Fire Nation Council do something about the coyote- armadillos that were the main source of the problem. He wanted them all exterminated. When Katara had suggested he mend the fence instead of eradicating the whole species it was like she had suggested that he chop off his child's head. She had done her best to calm him down, but eventually had to resort to having the guards escort the man out.

"Do not put too much thought to his behavior, Lady Katara." Her advisor had said, shaking her head solemnly as she brushed imaginary dirt off her dress. "It happens to everyone who has sat in that chair. Some people believe that those above them are responsible for all their problems."

Luckily, there weren't any more outburst that day. Going back into her room, she climbed into the basin of the large tub. As the water flowed from the pipes, she leaned back wishing that her husband was there with her. Her conversation with Oria kept playing through her head. The fact that Ursa had brought up Azula within earshot of Oria irritated her. Azula had spent the majority of her life believing that her mother saw her as nothing more than a monster and Oria didn't need to grow up the same way.

What was it that Iroh had called it? A self-fulfilling prophecy. That wouldn't be Oria's future. Not if she had something to say about it.

Katara trails her hand up and down her inner thigh as she thinks about her husband. She missed him greatly. A part of her always felt empty when he left her for more than a couple days at a time. She knew that he had to do this, it was for the betterment of the world. However, a part of her always feared that he wouldn't return. Paranoia at its finest.

The finger of her other hand slides between her breast and she imagines that it is Zuko who is touching her. The thought causes her heartbeat to quicken. Leaning back in the water, her hands continue their work. As her hand slips between her legs she is about to indulge in something that she would have never dared to do if Zuko was anywhere near the palace to catch her.

A knock on the door makes her jump, water sloshes onto the floor. "Mommy." Oria's voice calls. "Lu Ten is crying. He had another bad dream and he won't get out of my room."

"I'll be right there." She says, before ducking her head under the water to let out a long groan.

* * *

"They really did a number on this place." Zuko says, looking around the destroyed building that was supposed to be serving as the headquarters of the Fire Nation embassy. The building looked as if a giant had knocked half of it away with the sweep of its hand. The remains were still smoking from where they had extinguished the flames, no doubt created by fire benders.

"This isn't as bad as some of the others." Aang's says, walking out of the building. "We were able to save the majority of this building. Last week, two of them burned completely to the ground before we got here."

Zuko kicks a stone out of his way as he walks up to examine the damage. It was definitely the work of more than one bender. The spiked shards of earth where clear signs that an earth bender had been involved. Stepping inside, he can see a symbol that had been charred into the wall.

"It's the symbol of the cult." Aang says.

"It looks like Sokka drew it." Zuko says, taking a step away from the avatar. He still didn't want to be near the other man. Toph seemed to sense the tension but didn't say anything. "Do we have any leads on anything?"

Toph flashes him a grin. "My police force caught one of them when they were here last night. We have him in holding waiting to be interrogated."

In the interview room, Zuko watches the teenager in front of him. He was young, probably about the same age he was when he had met Katara and Aang for the first time. The fire bender had the same symbol from the wall of the embassy, shaved into the side of his head. It didn't look like the person had much of an idea what they were doing. When he had first seen it, Zuko had thought that the boy's hair had been burnt off in a dual.

"Do you know why you're here?" Aang asks, from his place across the table from the other boy. He kept his tone neutral, sounding like he was asking about the weather.

"I got caught." The boy replies, trying to sound tough, but Zuko can sense the unease and slight panic in his voice. He was scared, the question was if he was more scared of the people who were in the room with him or whoever was giving him orders to burn down the buildings.

"So, it would seem." Aang says, leaning back in his chair. He sounded older, a lot more dignified than he was four years ago. Every time Zuko saw him after along break it seemed that the avatar had put on a great number of years. He wondered why that happened.

"When do I get to leave?" He asks, amber eyes flickering in the direction of the door.

"You don't." Zuko says, finally speaking up from his place at the back of the room. The boy looks at him, open mouthed. "We have you on the destruction of a very important building. One that is the property of the Fire Nation. An attack on that building could easily be considered an act of treason."

The young boys mouth opens and closes, reminding Zuko of a fish. He runs a hand through his short dark hair. "That's- that's not…"

"Look," Zuko says, coming to stand behind Aang. "we can either work this out the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is you tell us what we need to know, and you get a few months of community service. The hard way… well let's say the hard way involves you being locked away for so long that you forget what sunlight looks like."

The boy visibly pales. His hands start to shake as he looks from Zuko to Aang, hoping that one of them would say that it was a big joke. "What- what do you need to know?"

"What's your name?"

"Takuma."

"When did you join the Elementals?" Aang asks, jotting down notes on a sheet of paper. Zuko glances over his shoulder at his messy writing, no wonder Katara had always been the one to write the letters.

"I, uh…" Takuma clears his throat. "I joined them about two months ago. I- I wanted to impress some girl. She was in the group before me. I thought that if I got in, she would want to spend more time with me. It didn't work…"

Aang nods with understanding. Zuko rolls his eyes and he can almost hear Toph on the other side of the glass calling the kid a moron. "Who is the leader?"

"I don't know." Takuma says, with a shake of his head. His scratches his patch beard as he talks.

"You're going to have to do better than that." Zuko says, taking a seat on the table.

"I really don't know." He says again, his voice going up a few octaves as he tries to defend himself. "I never got to talk to him. It's almost impossible to get his attention unless you are a really good bender. I didn't make the cut." His cheeks glow red out of embarrassment. "They call him Li Feng, but that's all I know."

After a couple of hours of questioning. They manage to get Takuma to divulge where the next meeting would be taking place. It turned out that it was in some seedy place a good distance away from Republic City. They moved around a lot so that they wouldn't be detected. They never had the same meeting place twice and you had to be a member to get in. They eventually got the talisman that they would have to present to be accepted into the meeting. It was a crewed piece of wood with some markings on it. It reminded Zuko of the necklace that Oria had made Katara a couple of years ago. This group really had no talent.

"So, what's the plan?" Aang asks, as they all stand in Tophs office.

"We are going to bust the party up, Twinkle Toes." Toph says, with a roll of her eyes. "We go in, we ambush them, arrest as many people as we can and hopefully get the leader of the whole thing."

"Is that really the best approach to this?" Aang asks.

Zuko shrugs. "I don't think we have a better option."

"What are we going to do with the kid?" Aang asks, looking through the two-way mirror to where the kid is still sitting. He was scarfing down the food they have brought him.

"He begged us not to tell his mom that he got brought to jail." Zuko says, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

Toph nods. "Lee." She says, calling over one of her metal benders. "Take him home and tell his mom exactly what he got in trouble for."

 **A/N: So, I wrote this one pretty quick. I was working to get it out before the day was over, because I probably won't have much time to write this coming week because of finals. As always, tell me what you think. I added in some of the suggestions that one of you had. You have all given me some ideas…**

Zutarawasrobbed – I love seeing your reviews. I'm sorry about Suki, but it had to happen to further my plans for Sokka's future. Don't worry there are going to be a few scandalous things happening in the future in reference to baby daddies and relationships.

darklordcommeth2367 – I didn't really notice that Suki dies early in a lot of fics, but then again, I mostly only read Zutara centric fics. The answer to Oria's parentage will come out eventually, I'm still trying to decide on exactly how I want to do the revel. Who knows, maybe they will come demanding to have their daughter back….

WildflowerDar – You have a point. It's possible that she could turn out like her mother or like Zuko.

 **Guest- Favoritism is a big thing in the royal family. Azula could have possibly turned out so horrible because she wasn't her mothers favorite. Zuko might have been worse if Iroh and Ursa didn't choose him. Azula might have been better if she would have been favored by both her parents. Oria still has a few years before she will be able to run away, but if she did, there's no telling where she might go. Maybe Aang will be the one to help her.**


	8. Hush Little Baby

**Nature versus Nurture**

 _Hush Little Baby_

Katara walks alone down the palace's hallways, the only light comes from the candle in her hand that casts soft shadows on the walls. With Zuko away she often found herself walking the familiar path to her children's rooms to make sure that they were still safe and sound in their beds. She hoped that he would be back soon, with all the trouble that was being caused in Republic City she would feel better if he was home with her. Then again, they had faced much greater odds and things had always came out alright. They had managed to prevent a genocide after all.

Easing open the door of Lu Tens room, Katara peers inside and lets out a soft chuckle. Her darling boy was asleep on his face with his rear end sticking up in the air. When he was younger, this had caused her a lot of anxiety and often had her up all night checking to make sure that he was still breathing. She had even contacted a few healers to make sure that there wasn't something wrong with her child. Ursa had alleviated her fears when she told her that Azula had done the same thing as a child. Stepping inside the room, she places her hand on his back to feel the gentle motion of his breathing. Picking his stuffed dragon doll up from the floor she tucks it under the covers with him. Placing a kiss on his head, she sneaks out of the room.

The palace is quiet tonight, the crickets and badgerfrogs weren't even making their usual noises out in the gardens. This alone should have been enough warning for Katara to realize that something was wrong. Approaching her daughters' room, she slows noticing that the door was already cracked open. Had Oria gotten scared and come to look for her?

As Katara gets closer she can hear the sound of soft singing.

" _Hush little baby don't you cry, momma's gonna buy you a star in the sky"_

Hastening her pace, she makes closes the distance between her and the door.

" _And if that star can't carry a tune, momma's gonna buy you a piece of the moon"_

Placing her hand on the dark, heavy wood she slowly pushes the door open and what she see's turns her blood cold. Sitting on the edge of Oria's bed is a dark figure wrapped up in a cloak, their face is hidden from Katara's view, but she knows who it is without having to look. A pale hand strokes Oria's smooth, black hair away from her peaceful face.

"Azula." Katara says, her voice low not to wake up the sleeping child.

'Hello, Katara." Azula says, not taking her eyes off her daughter. Katara takes a step farther into the room, mentally cursing herself for leaving her bending bottle in her bedroom when she came to check on her children. "It's been a long time."

"It has." Katara nods. "What are you doing here, Azula?"

Azula turns her head to look at Katara. She looked a lot better than she had the last time that she had seen her, she had put on muscle and her face no longer appeared hollow. Where ever she had been these last few years, she had certainly been taking care of herself. "I wanted to see my daughter." Her amber eyes look up and down Katara's body, assessing her. "Or should I say my niece? That's what you two have told everyone isn't it? That Oria is your illegitimate child."

Katara wasn't sure why this made her feel guilty. "We did it to protect her." She says, approaching them slowly. Azula wouldn't hurt Oria would she? "People were so angry at the time and we were afraid if they knew- "

"It doesn't matter." Azula says, cutting her off. She turns her attention back to her daughter. "I'm here now. I'm taking my daughter back."

Katara feels the blood drain from her face, she felt as if she was going to vomit all over the rug. It felt as if her worst nightmare was coming true. "You can't do that."

Azula's head snaps back in her direction, amber eyes give her a glare that's as cold as ice. "I can do whatever I please. In case you have forgotten, Oria is my daughter _not_ yours and Zuko's."

"She doesn't know who you are." Katara reasons, trying to keep her voice low and calm so that she doesn't wake the sleeping girl. "If you take her, she's going to fight you. It'll be hard to make it out of the Fire Nation with a screaming child." Azula continues to glare at her for a few more seconds before turning her attention back to Oria. The princess begins to stir in her sleep and Katara's blood pressure starts to rise. "Let's leave so she can sleep."

"She needs to be with her mother." Azula says, stepping away from the bed. "Her _real_ mother. Not some woman who is using her to play house."

Katara lets out a sigh of relief as Oria settles back into sleep. "Let's talk about this in the morning Azula. You won't be able to make it out of the palace alone with her, the guards will never allow it and traveling with a child is hard. You know that."

Azula seems to debate this for a few moments before finally conceding. "Very well, but when I leave this palace. I will be taking my daughter with me. I won't leave with out her knowing who her real mother is."

"If you tell her without us there to confirm your story, she will never believe you."

Azula gives her a sharp look, before pushing past Katara and exiting the room. Katara had no idea where the former Fire Nation Princess was planning to go, but Katara had a feeling that she wouldn't go to far. Pulling the blankets up to her daughter's chin, she rushes out to let the guards know to be on the lookout for Azula. Devastation hit her when the chief of the guards came back a hour later and reported that they were unable to find a trace of Azula anywhere within the place or the grounds surrounding it.

As a precaution, Katara demanded an upgrade in security. She wanted two guards posted at every entrance and exit and extras outside of her children's rooms. She had delayed Azula coming to take away Oria today, but was it really fair of her to keep a mother away from her child for so long? If someone had tried to do the same thing with Lu Ten, she would be furious. With shaking hands, she wrote a quick message to her husband, letting him know of his sisters return and her intentions to take away their daughter, truthfully her daughter. Katara felt as if there was no way to win this battle without being the bad guy.

 **A/n: Sorry that it's so short. This scene came to mind and this has been my seventh re-write of this chapter alone. I just couldn't figure out where I was wanting the story to head next. The next chapter will likely focus on Zuko.**


End file.
